Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-05-07

As40AH 1AlA
A. faSsessesas vioe = ~ Dsea lsssss Oass
RTE CDsssoal 4sees aaa H. lIally GAbss.
Thsre wese over 6,0Oo. 1000 pleoss Of mail
mater received q The dsad leeose ofnce ~
pear, says the washlnetoa Star, "a inersasa
Of about psr CeuI over that received during
the previous ysas OF this pumber over
4,OO0,OOO pieces ere dsad matter, pure end
simple, 100000 being ordinary unclaimed
lettsrA The amount OF mail matter that 4
sent 70 persons who, for some rseson Of
other, never rscsive Il from The poseofnoA q
represented by the sbovs ngursA might b
used BY some philosophio writer fond oi
figures - the basis tor On asgunsut thsg The
people of the United States ere largely mi.
gratory In their habita For instance, u ID
ssid that there ere over 1000 lettsrs rsOsived
psrsons whom the carriers DO noe know and
can nnd no tsscs Of. These letters ere, Of
courss, sdvsrtissd, Out II would ssem shas Q
good proportion Of the people who ought 70
read the advertised lists never do, and 20 the
lsstsrs cOme N the deed iettsr ofiica
Then they nnd their way 70 the opsnsf's
dssk, which " long table divided into com.
lore eaCh Of the compartments sits clerk.
There arc olevsa opensRs q present. Their
business 10 t0 open leetesa, and the majority
Of the psopls VIII probably b inclined 70 the
thst Occupied by u. isss Tsntsips, Tor The
reason thst while they ere required 10 open
letters they arc forbidden N re6d lettorA To
read lstter " not only sgstnet the regula.
tons Of the oihcs, but 10 against the lsv: All
Ing their long pointed knife blsdss in one
corner OF tho envelops end then ripping II
open, remove the contents, fold II with the
envelope, aud place II In . pile on their dcsks,
and then 70 On 70 the net pssnsgs IKE s The
who sre ths objects Of the oonsuniog envy OF
every healthy normal child, they bec6me
satiated with the novelty OF handling %
many letters, and the opening OF . letter IL
curiosity, that burning dssIre 70 know its
contents, which 10 the common lot OF ordinary
humanity. hut there are no women at thst
desk. They Gro All mon-snd old mon ct
that Staid, sober, steady going men, fathers
Of families and patriarch. IN the Church; b. For
that have to be encountered at the openers
desk. II that were oil women would, no
doubt have been admitted 70 the fraternity
The women already numhsr thres. .tourths
OF the clerical force Of tho ofiics, aud 10 ihoir
lofty perch In the gallery they examine ths
opened letters for tho aidress OF the writer
or some evidence upon which 70 base rsa.
sonabio conclusion ~ 70 the origin or dosti-
nation Of the lsttera They are not debarred,
therefore, from the openers table on sooouni
OF an alleged preponderance OF female Ouri.
osity. The custom OF having men at this
desk has rather curious history, - Star
reporter sscertained in talking with an old
practice to employ the msils In sending tor.
ward mass oi indecent books, pictures, etc
and oil that class Of pubiicAtiOns which
minister to the prurient and depravod taste
Of course there was good deal OF this stutt
In the letters that came TO the dead letter
Office, and II WAS rather . disssreesbie duty
for woman surrounded by men 70 open let
tsrs containing an indecent picture or IN ob
scene book, aud no the practive was adopted
OF employing men at the opening ta0leA For
nome years past there has been but . small |
amount OF obscene matter received st the
office, and 1t may bo concluded that very liz.
tie goes through the malta TIE Law II quito |
severs In this particular, and then 1t II &C.
stock have had . great influence 10 the sup
preston OF this Infamous business Comscnck
u not only the agent OF the society organized
10 suppress publications OF this charoCter, but
the department to make arrests and TO in.
spect postotllce matter. He, however, does
not receive any compensation from the gov
ernment As soon - ne hears Of circular
being sent out advertising publications OF IN
improper character he at once visits the place
mentioned, captures oil the stock on hand
and arrests the proprietor. In this way the
evil In nipped In the bud, and this ex plains
In great measure, the comparative freedom
OF the mails from matter OF this kind.
A. has been already indicated, the openers
must bS persons OF character, for the reason
that Q great many letters contain money.
" hen money IL found In the letters, or In.
deed any enclosure, the openers are required
To make in . book provided for this purpose
an entry OF tho amount OF money and the
character OF the enclosure, OF wbStsvOr kind
This record pssses iutO the hands of other
clerks, constituting - stem OF checks, which
OF porience has shown 70 be necessary, and IL
10 believed that there Ii no loss through dis
honesty OF the employees. The system has
been the growth OF years, and In the few
cases that have occurred iu the past OF dis
honesty on the part Of employees the weak
points In the system have been brought to
light and remedied. 1t 10 surprising To learn
how much money 10 yearly entrusted 10 the
malls, and although the number OF such let
tsrs that find their way to The dead letter |
Dffice 10 probably only . small proportion OF
The entire number mailed, yet last year there |
was received At the office over $1,000 In let-
lsra. The invention OF such devices - the
money order, with the cheap fees, and the |
still more modern device OF the postal note,
we're designed for the purpose OF avoiding |
he risk which letters containing money are |
great many people still slip their money into
he enveiOpe and trust to luck that their let
er, with It's contents, will escape all the
perils OF the way. The registered letter IN
,till another method OF lesssning the risk,
md while II IL true that the number OF letters
money has been reduced by these
1svices, still people strangely enough do not
wall themselves OF the advantages offered.
)f the 900 received Last year In letters over
~. QUO was restored 10 owners, nearly 81, ,OOO |
remained in the hands OF pos,msstsrs await |
nR restoration, and over t6 600 could not be
restored, and WAS placed In the United States
treasury, where Il remains tor . period OF
our years, subject to be reclaimed BY the |
owners.
PowderIy ON Cleveland.
"Mr. Cleveland 10 Q conscientious man and
means TO do the right thing. He II in gym.
pathy with the people, ~ this splendid and
bold letter shows very plainly. He has not
AIKEN this step without mature and careful
thought He knows that good many Of the |
corporations and the cattle syndiostes Will be |
against him. What Of 1t? The people are